PATOS Youth Theatre

What PATOS Youth Theatre does

PATOS Youth Theatre (PATOS - Alternative Smederevo Youth Theatre in Motion) is a non-profit performing arts organization founded in 1986 in Smederevo, Serbia, by Branislav B. Ćubrilović and Vladislav Nešić. It operates with a core team of 5 and serves primarily young people, urban cultural audiences, and educators in a regional Serbian city. Its functional mission is to produce experimental and contemporary theatrical performances, deliver drama education workshops, and host cultural events that address limited access to contemporary theatre and creative expression outlets for youth in non-capital cities.

The organization's product portfolio comprises original theatre productions (including the award-winning 'Brother', 'Plastic Gardens', 'ALISA', and the differentiated 'Inner Lights' / 'Eyes Shut Theatre' sensory format), the annual PATOSoffIRANJE international multimedia festival (since 2005, drawing artists from approximately 25 countries), the PATOSINEMA! free summer outdoor cinema (since 2013), year-round drama workshops for children and teenagers (since 2012), the Council of Europe Living Library social-inclusion project (since 2012), and LOTREC teacher-training resource centers in three Serbian cities. The organization has no proprietary technology stack and does not develop software, AI, or digital platforms; its output is live performance, in-person workshops, and event programming.

PATOS generates revenue through a mix of earned and contributed sources: ticket sales from performances, fees for workshop enrollment, festival participation fees, and — most substantially — recurring grants from Serbian government bodies (Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Youth and Sports, Office for Cooperation with Civil Society, City of Smederevo), the European Union (Civil Society program, Youth in Action, INTERREG IIIA), USAID, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, and foundations including Divac Foundation and Trag Foundation. Distribution occurs through direct venue-based performances in Smederevo (Smederevo Fortress, Centre for Culture Smederevo, Danube quay) and through international festival circulation across Europe. Marketing is conducted primarily via the patos.org.rs website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, press coverage, and festival-led community engagement.

Name

PATOS Youth Theatre

Legal name

PATOS Youth Theatre

Website

https://patos.org.rs

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

PATOS Youth Theatre is a non-profit performing arts organization in Smederevo, Serbia, founded in 1986, producing experimental theatre, running the annual PATOSoffIRANJE international multimedia festival, the PATOSINEMA! outdoor cinema, and year-round drama workshops for youth and educators.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts Theatre

NAICS

Theater Companies and Dinner Theaters (71111), Fine Arts Schools (61161), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Motion Picture Theaters (7830)

akta.pro primary industry

Children’s & Youth Theatre (MPAGABAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Fringe & Experimental Performing Arts (MPAGABAI)

Keywords

• Youth theatre productions
• Drama workshop programs
• Multimedia arts festival
• Community performing arts
• Experimental theatre education

Headquarters

HQ city

Smederevo

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Theatre Performances and Tickets: PATOS generates revenue through ticket sales from theatrical performances produced by its ensemble. The theatre produces original works and classical interpretations with experimental approaches.
2. Government and EU Funding: PATOS receives financial support from municipal government (City of Smederevo), national government (Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Youth and Sports), European Union programs, and government offices for civil society cooperation.
3. Foundation Grants: PATOS receives grants and project funding from foundations including Divac Foundation (Fondacija Ana i Vlade Divac), Royal Norwegian Embassy, and other international cultural foundations.
4. Festival Participation Fees: The theatre participates in international festivals where productions are featured, sometimes with hosting organizations covering production costs and accommodation.
5. Workshop Programs: PATOS conducts drama workshops for kids, teenagers, and young people, providing educational services in performing arts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PATOS Youth Theatre is a non-profit community-based youth theatre organization that gathers young theatre practitioners around experimental and research-driven theatrical projects. Its core offerings include original theatrical productions (classical and contemporary reinterpretations), year-round drama workshops for children, teenagers, and young people, the annual international multimedia festival PATOSoffIRANJE, the PATOSINEMA! summer open-air cinema, and social-inclusion projects such as the Council of Europe Living Library. The organization operates as a performing-arts cultural association registered in Smederevo, Serbia.

Product overview

PATOS Youth Theatre is a theatre organization offering multiple interconnected products and programs: its flagship PATOSoffIRANJE international multimedia festival (featuring theatre, film, dance, and art); PATOSINEMA! summer outdoor cinema; drama workshops for youth; and Living Library social inclusion project. The theatre produces original productions including Inner Lights (sensory theatre), ALISA, Plastic Gardens, and Brother (international co-production). LOTREC resource centers support teachers in drama education. The organization operates from Smederevo, Serbia, and maintains partnerships with theatres and cultural institutions across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PATOSoffIRANJE: International multimedia festival for young and urban audience including theater performances, film screenings, concerts, street performances, drama, art, dance, photography, percussion workshops, exhibitions. Held annually since 2005.
• PATOSinEMA!

Products and services

• PATOSoffIRANJE Festival Annual international multimedia festival in Smederevo offering theatre performances, film screenings, concerts, street performances, art exhibitions, dance, photography, and percussion workshops to young and urban audiences. Free admission for all attendees and integrates the Council of Europe Living Library project.
• PATOSINEMA! Outdoor Cinema Free summer open-air cinema held at the Danube quay park in Smederevo, screening feature films, documentaries, and animated films with parallel performances by theatre actors. Targets general public, with majority audience aged 15–30.
• Drama Workshops Year-round drama workshops for children, teenagers, and young people, running October to June annually. Led by certified trainers, participants develop performing arts skills and present plays at the end of each workshop season.
• Living Library Council of Europe project integrated into the PATOSoffIRANJE festival since 2012, in which human "Books" represent groups frequently confronted with prejudices and stereotypes, and readers borrow them for personal dialogue to promote social inclusion of marginalized groups.
• Inner Lights (Sensory Theatre Production) Theatre production developed under the "Eyes Shut Theatre" concept in which the audience experiences the complete narrative from a first-person perspective through a mix of smells, tastes, touch, and sounds in scenic darkness.
• ALISA (Theatre Production) 50-minute theatrical production based on Lewis Carroll's "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass," exploring themes of growing up. Co-produced with Centre for Culture Smederevo.
• Plastic Gardens (Plastične bašte) Imaginative 50-minute theatre production with themes of dreams, memories, and magic worlds featuring aliens, samurais, fairies, and angels. International co-production with Teatro Koreja Lecce (Italy) and Centre for Culture Smederevo.
• Brother International co-production with Teatro Koreja Lecce (Italy) and Smederevo Centre of Culture, based on John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera." Features eight Serbian actors and eleven Roma participants presenting their culture. Won the "Teresa Pomodoro" international award for best social drama in Italy in 2010.
• LOTREC Educational Resource Centres Local support centres for teachers involved in theatre work with children and young people. Organizes seminars on application of dramatic methods in education, creative drama workshops, and expert meetings. Operates in Belgrade, Zrenjanin, and Smederevo.

Quantifiable outcome

• 3000+ visitors to PATOSINEMA! over two months with 30 screenings
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BAZAART (Belgrade)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPATOS works closely with BAZAART as an associated partner in multiple projects including IDEAL, ISLANDS, and ART4A. BAZAART is an artistic association from Belgrade and the creator of the PATOSoffIRANJE festival initiative.
• Centre for Culture SmederevocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing co-production partner for multiple performances including ALISA, PLASTIC GARDENS, BROTHER, and WIZARD OF OZ. Co-partner in ISLANDS and LOTREC projects. Provides technical and logistical support for programs.
• Teatro Koreja Lecce (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian co-production partner for PLASTIC GARDENS, BROTHER, and ALISA performances. Led the AR.CO international theatre project in the INTERREG IIIA Adriatic Cross border program. Ongoing international collaboration since 2005.
• Council of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPATOS organizes the Living Library project as part of PATOSoffIRANJE since 2012. Project supported by Council of Europe Office in Belgrade.
• KUD Transformator (Ljubljana, Slovenia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner theatre association from Slovenia in ARTY youth exchange for intercultural learning through drama.
• Rubicon Theatre (Rijeka, Croatia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner theatre from Croatia in ARTY youth exchange. Led drama workshops using theatre Rubicon methodology.
• DIS Theatre (Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner theatre from Bosnia and Herzegovina in ARTY youth exchange program.
• AP Neretva (Konjic, Bosnia and Herzegovina)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner theatre association from Konjic in ARTY youth exchange program.
• Centre for Creative Growth and multicultural cooperation CEKOM (Zrenjanin)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-term partner in multiple projects including IDEAL, ISLANDS, and ART4A. Supports youth involvement through creative potential.
• Goethe Institute (Germany)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided films through collaboration for PATOSINEMA! open cinema program.
• Institut Français (France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided films through collaboration for PATOSINEMA! open cinema program.
• Italian Institute for CultureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided films through collaboration for PATOSINEMA! open cinema program.
• EUNIC Cluster (EU cultural institutes)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortugal, Spain, Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary, Greece, Great Britain - provided films for PATOSINEMA! program.
• Institute ConfuciusminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvided films through collaboration for PATOSINEMA! open cinema program.
• Smederevo Fortress TheatrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in IDEAL project and theatre productions. Key local partner for theatrical activities.
• Centre for Development of Civil Resources CRCR (Niš)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in IDEAL and ART4A projects for developing intercultural learning and community art.
• CRCR Rudel (Carcassonne, France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner in IDEAL project for intercultural learning through drama.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Odin Teatret: Danish experimental theatre laboratory founded by Eugenio Barba, known for cross-cultural theatre anthropology and decades of international touring. Directly comparable to PATOS's experimental aesthetic, founder-led identity, and European festival circuit presence.
• DV8 Physical Theatre: Award-winning UK physical theatre company producing experimental work that fuses movement, text, and social themes. Comparable to PATOS in producing experimental, socially-engaged theatre that tours internationally and emphasizes physicality and innovation.
• BAZAART: Belgrade-based artistic association and co-creator of PATOSoffIRANJE festival. Closest domestic peer — a Serbian non-profit arts organization that co-produces experimental festivals and youth programs with PATOS.
• La MaMa Experimental Theatre Club: NYC-based non-profit experimental theatre founded in 1961 with a global artist residency, international touring, and a youth/community mission. Directly comparable to PATOS as a small, experimental, internationally networked non-profit theatre with an independent artistic voice.
• Gate Theatre (London): Small independent London theatre known for nurturing new writing and international collaborations. Comparable to PATOS as a small-scale, high-credibility independent theatre with strong international co-production partnerships.
• Young Vic Theatre: London-based theatre with a mission to develop new audiences and young practitioners, producing experimental and international work. Comparable to PATOS in its youth/community orientation, experimental programming, and emphasis on emerging directors and international partnerships.
• Donmar Warehouse: Small London theatre producing high-profile experimental and international productions with limited seating capacity. Comparable to PATOS in combining experimental programming, international partnerships, and a lean operational footprint.
• National Youth Theatre (UK): UK non-profit dedicated to developing young people's skills through theatre production, training, and performances. Most directly comparable to PATOS as a youth-focused theatre organization with strong educational programming and a pipeline of young performers.
• Frantic Assembly: Independent UK theatre company producing physically ambitious, experimental productions with strong youth and education programs. Comparable to PATOS in scale, experimental posture, and a focus on developing young artists and educators.

Regional players

• Centro Teatrale Maqumamo: Italian contemporary theatre research center focused on experimental practice and international exchange. Comparable to PATOS's Italian co-productions (Teatro Koreja Lecce) and shared European experimental-theatre ecology.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/patossd
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UClWJunKIm468QN7JQm62eow
• Facebookfacebook.com/patos.smederevo
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/patos-youth-theatre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about PATOS Youth Theatre